LMLCG – Episode 2 – A Busy Day

“Stand, bow.”

Made it through another day…

It’s been about two months since I entered this school. Every day feels like I’m just going through the motions.

I don’t have friends… I mean, I do… but not here.

Back in my hometown, I have friends. I still keep in touch with them.

So then, where am I?

I moved away from my hometown and now live alone.

Technically, this town is where my aunt, my mom’s older sister, lives, but unless there’s a reason, we don’t keep in contact.

Back in junior high, I got into a violent incident.

But I don’t think I did anything wrong, not even a little.

I did what I did because someone hurt my childhood friend, and they deserved it.

But after that, I was isolated by the class.

It wasn’t bullying. They just avoided me, my friends, even my childhood friend too.

So I decided to leave home and attend a high school outside the prefecture.

As a condition, I chose this town, where my aunt lives.

I somehow passed the entrance exam, enrolled in the school, and here I am now…

I intended to do better here.

Nobody here knows about my past in junior high, and I figured I’d just live a normal high school life.

But I wasn’t so lucky…

There were idiots in my class who still acted like they were in middle school.

It was like those same types followed me right into this class.

Honestly, I was disappointed.

As those fools made more noise and caused more trouble, the rest of the class gradually fell under their influence, just like people clinging to power.

I had no desire to hang around with those idiots, and seeing them just reminded me of my junior high days, which I hated, so I ended up avoiding everyone.

And before I knew it, I was isolated again.

Then one day, there was a letter in my shoe locker.

It was so cliché that I immediately suspected a prank, but just in case, I went to the rooftop as the letter instructed.

The result… well, you already know.

Since then, nothing else has happened. I’m not being bullied or anything.

…If I were, I wouldn’t stay silent about it.

I’m just being completely ignored and isolated.

I left my hometown to forget about that… and yet here I am again.

Am I just destined to be alone?

If so, then I’ll embrace it fully.

I decided I won’t interfere with anyone at school.

But that resolution… It’s half-hearted.

A small part of me still hopes someone will understand me, accept me. That’s the one thing I can’t give up on.

After school, I was watering the flower bed.

It all started when I passed by here and saw the wilted flowers, I couldn’t help but give them some water.

Sometimes I pull weeds too… I mean, I’ve got nothing better to do.

I don’t come every day, but I stop by every two or three days.

It seems like someone else also takes care of the flowers, pulled weeds were neatly set aside.

Today I just watered them using a hose with a spray nozzle.

The drama at school wasn’t the end of my day.

On my way home, I happened to find a lost wallet.

Of course, I took it straight to the police box.

I’d lost my wallet once before and was in a bind.

I know how grateful you feel when it’s returned.

You probably can’t understand unless you’ve experienced it yourself.

What is with today…?

At the base of the stairs leading to the shrine I sometimes visit, an old lady was resting.

I felt hesitant to just walk past her, because she was clearly right in front of me…

Maybe I was being paranoid, but once I stopped and paid attention, it felt like the people around me were silently saying, “You’re going to help her, right?”

In the end, I couldn’t ignore her and spoke up.

“Are you alright, Obā-san?”

“Oh, yes. I just have a lot of things and needed to sit for a bit.”

Next to her were several shopping bags.

There were a lot, both in number and in contents.

“Where is your home?”

“It’s the shrine up these stairs.”

So she’s from the shrine…

In that case, I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal to carry the bags up the stairs for her.

“I’ll carry your bags. Are you okay to walk now?”

“No, no, I’ll be fine after a short rest.”

Of course she tried to decline.

“I was planning to go up and pay my respects anyway. It’s really no trouble at all, so please don’t worry.”

I hadn’t actually planned to visit today, but I had been there a few times before. Might as well do it now.

She looked a little hesitant.

“…I’m sorry. Would you mind, then?”

“Not at all. I’ll take your bags, so please take your time going up.”

In situations like this, it’s best to grab the bags quickly and avoid making the person feel more awkward.

I picked up all the bags at once and headed straight up the stairs.

Once I reached the top, I made sure she was okay, then walked toward what seemed to be the main house.

I waited by the entrance for a bit until she caught up.

“Sorry for making you carry everything…”

“It’s no problem. I’ll just leave them here. Take care.”

“Ah…”

I could tell she was about to say something, but I didn’t stop.

I didn’t do it to make her feel indebted.

I wouldn’t say I did it unwillingly, but I guess I acted out of some vague sense of guilt or duty.

There was no kindness behind it.

I went straight back down the stairs.

Ah… I forgot to pray… Oh well.